Art of making switch-keys.



APPLICATION FILED FEB. 20. I918.

Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

CHARLES ROBERTSON, OF STROUDSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

ART OF MAKING SWITCH-KEYS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 24, 1918.

Application filed February 20, 1918. Serial No. 218,352.

To all 10 ham it may concern Be it known that 1, CHARLES RoBnnrsoN, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Stroudsburg, in the county of Monroe and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Art of Making Switch-Keys, of which the following is a specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to switch keys and particularly to the process of making devices of this class, and the invention consists both in the process hereinafter described of making keys of this class and in the key produced by such process, and my invention also more particularly relates to the manufacture of what are known as Ford switch keys or switch keys for Ford cars.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following specification, of which the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of my improvement are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which Figure 1 is a side view of a complete switch key made according to my invention;

Fig. 2 a partial section on the line 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 a section on the line 33 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 a side view of the head portion of the key alone and showing the first step in the process;

Fig. 5 a view similar to Fig. 1 but indicating the second step in the process; and,

Fig. 6 a side view of a key pin which I employ.

In the practice of my invention, I provide a switch key a comprising a handle portion a having a flat head portion a In the construction shown, the handle portion a and its head portion a are formed integrally and stamped or formed from a sheet of metal of predetermined thickness, and the head portion a must be flat in form, Or made of sheet metal, but the handle portion a may be of any desired form.

In one side edge part of the head portion a is formed an oblong rectangular recess a at the opposite ends of which are parallel projecting members a having oppositely directed lugs a and in the bottom Wall a of the oblong rectangular recess a is formed a supplemental recess a", the end walls of which are beveled inwardly to form inwardly directed points a A cylindrical key pin 7), is next provided said key pin being of predetermined length and of any desired transverse dimensions, and in the opposite sides of one end portion thereof are formed recesses 6 the walls 6 of which are beveled inwardly, and this forms a head b having opposite inwardly directed side walls, the transverse dimensions of the head 6 corresponding with the longitudinal dimensions of the recess a in the head a of the handle of the tool, and in the next step of the process, the head 6 of the key pin 1) is passed transversely into the recess a in the bottom wall a of the recess a and said head If is flattened by forging or hammering as shown at a in Figs. 1 and 2 so that the side portions thereof overlap the points a of the side walls of the recess a", and also the bottom wall of the recess a as is clearly shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and in this operation the head If is expanded in the recess a and this forms a secure connection between the key pin 7) and the head a of the handle a My invention is not limited to any exact shape or form for the parts a, a and I) nor the dimensions of such parts, nor to any particular shape or dimensions of the key pin Z2, and various changes in and modifications of these features of the construction shown and described may be made within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit of my invention or sacrificing its advantages.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters fatent, is

1. The process herein described of forming a switch key which consists in providing a handle member with a flat head in one side edge portion of which is formed an oblong rectangular recess in the bottom of which is formed a supplemental recess having inwardly beveled side walls forming inwardly directed points, and providing a key pin one end portion of which is provided in its opposite sides with recesses forming a head having inwardly inclined walls, said head being inserted laterally into the recess in the head of the handle portion of the key and being flattened or compressed on its opposite sides so as to expand such head in said recess.

2. The process herein described of forming a switch key which consists in providing a handle member with a flat head in one side edge portion of which is formed an oblong rectangular recess in the bottom of which is formed a supplemental recess having inwardly beveled side walls forming inwardly directed points, and providing a key pin one end portion of which is provided in its opposite sides with recesses forming a head having inwardly inclined walls, said head being inserted laterally into the recess in the head of the handle portion of the key and being flattened or compressed on its opposite sides so as to expand such head in said recess so as to cause said head to fill said recess and the sides thereof to overlap the walls of said recess.

3. A switch key pin comprising a handle portion having a flat head in one side of which is formed an oblong rectangular recess, in the bottom of which is formed a re cess, the side walls of which are beveled inwardly, and a key pin one end portion of which is provided in its opposite sides with recesses forming a head having inwardly beveled side walls, said head being inserted into said supplemental recess and expanded therein.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of the subscribing witnesses this 18th day of February 1918.

' CHARLES ROBERTSON.

Witnesses:

L. T. KUNKLE, J. K. ANDRE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C. 

